[Burren College of Art]

On 11/19/2015 at 8:34 AM, Burrem College of Art said:

Hi KRT,

As both the Director of Admissions at the Burren College of Art and an American who completed both an MA and PhD in England, I can say that what a postgraduate degree from outside of the US gives you the advantage of is having an international experience in the arts and education which many employers find hugely valuable and unique in the States.  The majority of our undergraduate Study Abroad and postgrad students are from the US and we have close partnerships with major institutions such as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Maryland Institute College Art, San Francisco Art Institute and over 40 other colleges and universities.  We have a thriving visiting artist program which brings professional artists and educators from all over the world to BCA to give presentations and also give independent advising sessions with our students. 

Our degrees are fully accredited through NUI Galway and are recognized as the equivalent of a US MFA. As you've learned, many of our alumni choose to stay in Ireland or Europe after graduating in addition to those who have returned to the US, and have developed fantastic connections internationally.  The ability to be able to travel to Berlin, London or Venice in under 3 hours from Ireland allows for you to be able to attend major exhibitions or participate in events all over Europe, while having a base in the secluded west of Ireland.  As an artist myself, this is what initially attracted me to studying in the UK and it's been incredibly rewarding in terms of connecting with a network of artists, festivals and arts organizations which extends across Europe and the US. 

Please feel free to get in touch with me directly at lisa@burrencollege.ie with any questions you might have.  If you'd like to talk to any of our current postgrad students or alumni to hear about their experiences, I'm more than happy to get you in contact with them.

 

Many thanks and I hope to hear from you soon - Lisa  

Just emailed you, Lisa! Excited to hear back!

[Any one with experience related to Cranbrook, VCU, Bard, ASU?]

On 4/4/2016 at 2:00 PM, Elizard said:

I went to VCU Painting and Prtinmaking for Undergrad and LOVED IT. I still keep in touch with my professors and the graduate program is fantastic. They are very very competitive, but if you get in its worth it. Plus the prices is right and Richmond is an amazing city. 

That's great to hear! I've found out recently that my professor, the one that I'm really close to, has a former student that teaches there, so I'm hoping that might help my odds. Looks like a great school, for sure. And the price is a big deal for me, also! Glad you had a great experience there. 

[Any one with experience related to Cranbrook, VCU, Bard, ASU?]

On 3/30/2016 at 4:12 PM, YayYeoYay said:

A friend of mine will be attending Bard this summer, and a stimulating community is a huge offer from this program. If being in conversation is an important factor for you, then Bard is a great choice. As I understand it there are a lot of one - on - one critiques in your studio with professors, critics, classmates, and students from other majors. Bard is one of the programs I will be applying to due to this structure. I really like the idea of being able to talk to people of other departments, and not just within the fine art class.

And as for how important resumes are, I agree with cpw0021. I think it is mostly to get an idea of who you are outside of your work, but not something that can really break your chances with their program.

Good luck this year with your portfolio and application. I will be freaking out with you during application time later this year 

Thanks! I've had a lot more time to think about some of these questions and mature in the past months and I agree with the resume thing now and I know now especially that I'm far more concerned with working closely with the faculty and I will definitely be applying to Bard along with some other schools that have come up on the radar recently. Good luck to you also!! I hope everything goes well for you

[Any one with experience related to Cranbrook, VCU, Bard, ASU?]

4 minutes ago, cpw0021 said:

I don't think a resume matters that much when it comes to getting into graduate school. I've looked at the resumes of the people who got into Columbia, Yale, UCLA, etc. and most don't have extensive CVs. Of course, having a long list of big exhibitions/awards is definitely a plus, but not a deal breaker (in my opinion, anyway). 

My coworker went to Cranbrook (years ago when it was much cheaper) and loved it. She suggested it to me but it wouldn't be the right fit for my practice. Plus, I was told by another friend that their program is quite traditional in terms of it not being very interdisciplinary. I don't know if those actually attending would agree or not. 

My advice would be to definitely visit--it's very hard to get a feel for a school just by the website and I felt I was able to do better applications for the schools I visited (we'll see how that works out in the next month!). Also, I ended up meeting people when visiting (recent graduates, professors) who were willing to look at my work and give me advice/encouragement--which was great! 

Thanks for the advice! I know I need to do visits and expand my search some. It's been hard with the busy schedule since I graduated in May, but maybe if I only do the residency next year I'll have more time to travel. The free advice sounds great, for sure. Thank you and good luck with the schools you've applied to!

[Any one with experience related to Cranbrook, VCU, Bard, ASU?]

Hi! I have concerns about beginning the application process this next year, and I would be very grateful to anyone having the time and kindness to offer advice. I'm interested in Cranbrook. I'm hoping to concentrate in sculpture in grad school, and their sculpture department's work looks incredible, and a professor I trust recommends them highly.

Does anyone have any experience with Cranbrook, either having applied there, gone there, known anyone else who has any experience? I'm wondering not only if it is the right fit for me, but what sort of financial aid they offer, and very importantly, if I might stand a chance at acceptance. 

I'm coming from a very small but dedicated undergrad program, with great faculty. It's public but is still one of the best schools in my state (SC) for art. I have only ever had one solo show, and I haven't won many awards for my work. The main area I have experience in is public art and teaching. So, I'm very nervous as to whether I'm ready for grad school. My favorite professor and department head from undergrad are both highly encouraging me to pursue graduate school. The professor asks me about it near every time I see him (pretty much weekly lately). I know that I can get a great recommendation from him (he's done a ton to help me in the past) and at least a good one from my department head, along with recommendations from at least three other art professionals if I ask. I'm currently helping teach at my undergrad as a TA and did the same last year with the other professor. I'm working on a public commission for the campus of my undergrad, finished my first public commission last year while in school, and I have a meeting Monday to discuss another possible project that would be much larger. I have work in this year's ArtField's competition (southeastern competition with 400 artists). I will finish my degree program in industrial welding this summer (to supplement the welding knowledge I gained in undergrad). I hope to apply as an affiliate artist in residence to a nearby residency program, the McColl Center, for the time between finishing my teaching assistantship and when I might start grad school in fall 2017. 

I don't know, any knowledge helps. I'm not sure what other experiences people try to acquire before applying that I might be lacking. I'm also interested in Bard, VCU, ASU. Because of my undergrad experience, I would love to go to a school with dedicated faculty and stimulating classmates. Good facilities would be great because I can work in a lot of different media, but not as important as dedicated and inspiring people and a great artist lecture series.

Thanks!